A large
section of the city saw brownish water flowing from its taps Monday after a
major break in the line near Down and South streets.
“It’s the
color of coffee,” said resident Sue Gorski.
The water
department said the break, slated for repair by late Monday, left about 25
homes without water and many others seeing discolored water.
The normal clarity
of the water, all of which is safe, was disrupted by the high volume of the
leak, which stirred up sediment in the pipes all the way west to the Terryville
line.
Water
Superintendent Rob Longo said the water was safe despite the coloration.
“We know it
is not appealing, but it should clear for customers soon,” he said late Monday
afternoon. Its safety “was never jeopardized,” he said.
Crews were
working on the break Monday afternoon and hoped to fix it sometime in the
evening.
The
department said that anyone experiencing discoloration after the repairs are
done should “run the cold water from an outside faucet or your bathtub until it
runs clear.”
Longo said
water crews “will flush some hydrants in the area” after the break is repaired.
But, he
said, “because the break caused such a large flow across the city, it may take
some time for it to clear up everywhere.”
Rust and
mineral deposits can accumulate in water mains, the department said, but normally
lay dormant.
One
suggestion the department offers for anyone whose clothing was in the laundry
when sediments are stirred up might be able to remove any discoloration by
adding a quarter of a cup of cream of tartar with regular laundry detergent.
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